The best life is a God First life

Category: Sharing (Page 1 of 4)

Sharing God’s Word

Foundations of love

As we get to know God, we strengthen the foundation of our very being; as we establish roots in His word, they become intertwined with God’s will for us; they weave through every letter of God’s living Word, absorbing the never-ending water that nourishes our souls, guiding us to life ever after with our creator.

When we study God’s Holy Word with the desire to know God, we will draw closer to God, and God will draw closer to us; the more we understand God’s Love, the more we love and WANT to please God.

It’s all in His Word, so why not make the effort to seek to know God personally?

As scripture puts it, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

Jesus is our pathway and the only way to eternal salvation, the only way to peace that surpasses all understanding. Get to know God, Store up His word in your heart, and you will find yourself striving to glorify God in every action.

“I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.”

Psalm 119:11

”But seek first His kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33)

  • John 4:13-15 (living water)
  • James 4:8 (God draws closer)
  • Romans 8:31(God with us)
  • Matthew 16:13-20(upon this rock)
  • 1 Peter 2:1-10

God First!

Eternal Confidence

The main goal of a disciple of Christ is to advocate for Christ, not to go to Heaven.

Why? The true disciple of Christ is someone who, out of love and gratitude, acts to accept the grace of God by following the commandments of Jesus, one who hears the Word, believes, repents, and confesses Christ as our Lord and Savior, then puts on Christ through baptism for the forgiveness of their sins , then lives for Christ, as defined in scripture.

For them, Heaven is a promise!

So, the focus of the baptized believer should be on helping others share in that promise and the confidence it brings: The confidence of eternal salvation by spreading the Gospel of Christ to all the world.

To all who will obey Him, Jesus is the source of eternal life

“And being made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him,”

Hebrews‬ ‭5‬:‭9‬
  • John 1:1-18
  • Hebrews 10:35-36
  • 1 John 4:17
  • Mark 16:15-16
  • Galatians 3:26-27
  • 2 Corinthians 5:17–19
  • Acts 2:37-42
  • Romans 6:4, 8:31-33
  • 2 Corinthians 1:3-5
  • Isaiah 41:10
  • Philippians 4:6-7
  • 1 John 2:22-25
  • Ephesians 3:12

God First!

Jesus seeds

We can plant seeds of evil or seeds of good. Some view social media as a “devil’s playground” because many abuse it. Some air their dirty laundry, some are disrespectful and hateful, some spread gossip, and the list goes on and on. I view Social media as farmland, farmland with equal opportunity to spread good seeds, good thoughts, praise, laughter, accolades, and the message of Christ.

We can just as easily spread seeds that build each other up as we can spread the seeds of Satan. We need to keep in mind that what we like, share, and say on these platforms is an extension of ourselves.

Wouldn’t you love to see social media inundated with uplifting posts, shares, and likes by good people wanting to make positive change? It starts with us.

If we’re not planting good seeds in the farmland, the seeds of weeds Satan plants will take over the land.

God is good; let’s share the goodness in all that we do!

James 3:18 – The seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

  • Matthew 28:19-20
  • Mark 16:15
  • Luke 24:47
  • Ecclesiastes 11:6
  • 1 Corinthians 3:6
  • Galatians 6:9
  • Luke 8:11
  • 2 Corinthians 9:10 – God will supply and multiply your seed for sowing.
  • Hosea 10:12 – Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love.

God First!

Our Hearts

So many of us try to protect our hearts by hiding them and shielding them behind tough exteriors. Yet, when we actually take the risk by extending our hearts and sharing them with others, we really make a difference, not just in the lives of others but in our own lives.

The risk is worth the effort.

God’s Word tells us to Love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Love our neighbor as ourselves and not hide the light of our hearts under a bushel; let it shine!

I am very grateful to those who take the risks. Your compassionate and giving attitude of love lights up the lives of others and makes the world a better place. You are a needed encouragement.

Thank you!

Mark 12:30–31
Mark 4:21-25

God First! 

Finding Truth

It’s been said,” Believe none of what you hear and only half of what you see.” With AI, editing and narrative pushing, this saying is obsolete. We cannot believe anything we see or hear in the media without extensive investigation.

Our media is inundated by ego-driven, biased commentators who call themselves reporters. In their “Reports,” they give us partial information and tell us what to believe in what we saw and heard from them. Purposely attempting to sway and distort our thinking. And they do this under the false label of ”NEWS.”

AI has many good purposes, yet it is also being abused to create fake media, distort the truth, and even spread lies through video, pictures, and sound. Lies that seem credible. With all this bad information, the most astute become gullible. As viewers and listeners, we are truly out of the loop when it comes to firsthand knowledge and should be very careful in forming and stating opinions, as without direct knowledge, we speak from a foundation of sand. This sandy foundation is full of countless weeds amongst elements of truth—a large puzzle with many pieces. When we take positions and voice opinions without in-depth research, we become part of the problem, unwittingly spreading lies.

Misinformation is nothing new; it has been with us since Adam and Eve. It’s just light-years faster to spread with today’s fingertip technology.

In Genesis 3:4-5, God’s own words were distorted by Satan when he told Eve, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Adam’s knowledge was direct from God in Gen 2:16-17, he was told “…You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” It’s unspoken whether Eve’s knowledge was directly from God or Adam, but her response to Satan showed she knew it was forbidden.

Satan could be considered the first “Reporter” with his agenda-driven distortion of truth.

Since Adam and Eve, Satan has not given up; he is relentless in trying to distort God’s Word. However, if one really wants to know the truth, God’s Word is where we find it; Jesus is the Firm Foundation we need that leads us to eternal life.

This world is full of lowercase churches, but Scripture speaks of Only One Church, the Church Christ built, the one His life, death, and resurrection founded. The more we know of Christ and all Scripture, the more equipped we are to discern the truth and the more capable we become to spread the seeds of absolute truth.

Let us not be gullible but rather pursue the truth of Scripture, doing our best to serve God according to God’s intent, His purpose, His word.

Otherwise, Satan is the only one planting seed and cultivating the land. We need the truth exposed in our lives—people need to understand why we turn to Jesus, why we believe the truth of Scripture, and how the Truth of God’s Word equips us to discern the truth amid lies.

We need to share what we have learned, as WE CANNOT SPREAD TRUTH WITH SILENCE!

  • Matthew 16:18
  • Ephesians 4:4-6
  • John 14:6
  • Acts 4:12
  • 1 Timothy 2:5
  • Deuteronomy 4:2
  • Revelation 22:18-19
  • Revelation 12:9

God First!

Update on God First Cup efforts,

I have now given several cups to strangers and invited them to visit the congregation I attend. In doing so, I have noted what they can expect during their visit, stating: we are not an “entertainment church,” but rather we are a Church that focuses on teaching and studying God’s Word.

This point is made because I have been invited by others to visit their church with the preludes, “It has a great band,” “You will love the band, “The lead singer in the band is awesome,” and so forth. So, I want people to understand that I am not inviting them to be entertained, but rather to worship and learn.

Before giving away a mug with its message, I generally ask one or two questions

Do you believe in God? These answers have been: Yes, No, sort of, I believe in a higher power, and I am a Buddhist. If they are Believers, I often ask, do you go to Church somewhere? Yes, No, I’ve been looking for one, not yet, I’ve been thinking about it, and I don’t believe in God.

I ask these questions to avoid offending the disbeliever by giving them a cup they don’t want; however, for everyone else, my desire is to plant seeds by giving them this cup of inspiration that states, “the best life is a God First life.”

Recently, I talked with a young lady at the carwash who said she did not go to church anywhere and sort of believed in God. I still offered her a cup, pointing out the message of love on and inside the cup, while giving her a Buford CoC card with service times, address, website, and phone number, and invited her to visit and learn more.

Opportunities abound. I stopped and gave mugs to a family down the street with two small children. They are outside a lot and exchange waves with us when we drive by. As they received their cups, they told me they had been looking for a Church. We also have a new family across the street with three small children who currently attend a church. I gave them cups and invited them to visit. We’ve given cups to people on our daily park walks, and yesterday to the receptionist, where we had our dog Casper groomed, and invited her to visit.

It’s my hope that these gifts will inspire some of these people to attend and learn, but at the very least, this God First message is planting seed and being seen in their homes, cars, and hands, so I pray for open hearts and fertile soil.

If you’re interested in using the cups to help you plant seeds or invite others, reach out to me. Although I cannot afford to give all of them away, I am reselling them for pennies above my actual cost and including the paper message inside each cup. By having others purchase some of the cups, I can buy enough to get reasonable prices and do it over and over.

God First!

My desire in printing these cups is that when seen and read by a good heart, they will provoke thought and seed discussions. That God, through His Word, will provide growth, and with this growth, more people will come to know the Joy, peace, love, comfort, and assurance that come with putting God first by doing God’s will, God’s way.

The message is a reminder that each of our lives has meaning, and our examples impact others. When one follows Christ, it’s inevitable to have great beauty in one’s path.

For me, the cups are a mission to share Christ and the message: A God-first life is the best life one can live. I’m not looking for profit by selling these cups; I paid a few cents less than the $4 selling price. Included in each cup is also a message for the recipient (as seen in the picture below)

Putting God first is both a life- and soul-saving message. “God First” is NOT a slogan; it’s a way of life. I know this is true because of my own choices.

Jesus said: “If you love me, you will keep my commandment’s” doing so glorifies God in every aspect of our lives— following Christ is not about completing a checklist of do’s and don’ts, it’s about our hearts and minds desiring to please our creator to the best of our ability showing our love and appreciation for God which in turn demonstrates our belief, trust, and faith in Jesus. God First!

Yesterday, my wife and I went on one of our local park walks. Because of her Alzheimer’s, I try to be prepared for the unknown. I keep a backpack cooler with us wherever we go, filled with supplies and a Bluetooth speaker to play our music, and carry it on every walk.

I’ve mentioned this before, but we talk to, or at least say hello to, everyone we pass, and a large number of them get hugs from Virginia, and she tells them she loves them.

At the end of yesterday’s walk, we came across a young lady with a big white dog named Aries, and as we talked, I asked her if she believed in God. She said yes, so I told her I wanted to give her something and retrieved one of the God First cups with its messages from my pack. She was overjoyed with the unexpected gift and its messages. I loved the Joy it seemed to bring her as she read the cup, and her face lit up. She then asked if she could give me a hug. Virginia, of course, also hugged her and told her she loved her.

Attached is a copy of the message found inside every cup, which finishes with: “You are loved!”

Flaxseed and Scripture

Some friends recently set a family goal to read one thousand books by the year’s end. As I am a slow reader, this goal is truly impressive. In fact, When I ordered the book in this picture, “The Utterance of God,” I ordered based on a friend’s recommendation and my interest in the topic. The book identifies and demonstrates numerous biblical proofs (many of which I was unaware) that what we read in the Bible is indeed the actual Words of God. The Bible claims this fact in 2 Timothy 3:16, where God tells us, “All Scripture is God-breathed…”.

Recognizing, understanding, and comprehending these many proofs found in Scripture also solidifies God as the creator of everything we know and understand; therefore, we should do all within our power to follow Christ according to what we find in God’s Word.

This book was not yet published when I placed my order, it does have a nice size font, but still, I did not realize the book was over 500 pgs. Likewise, the Bible has over a thousand pages and three-quarters of a million words. Large books seem daunting to me. However, I have learned to take the Flaxseed approach to my reading.

Like the books above, Flaxseed was also recommended to me as having several health benefits for our bodies. When I ordered the Flaxseed, and it arrived, I thought, wow, that’s a lot of Flaxseed; how will I ever get through all this? Yet by using just a teaspoon at a time, I have now consumed the first container and am starting this new one; and am healthier for it.

Today, I am proud to report that I have read every word in “The Utterance of God.” Although parts of it were challenging to comprehend, much was very easy and extremely interesting. Moreover, I have gained considerably by being persistent in periodically consuming just a few pages at a time over months.

The result: Studying this information strengthened my understanding of God’s Word, increased my confidence when I thought I lacked none, and helped to embolden my faith.

Reading good books can provide several benefits for the health of our minds, and Reading God’s Holy Word provides nourishment for both mind & soul; it is life’s best guide. Following God’s Word according to God’s Word is to follow Jesus, and Jesus is our only way to spend eternity with God. John 14:6, Acts 4:2, 1 Timothy 2:5, John 10:9, John 1:14,

I encourage anyone reading this, take time to read the Bible, don’t decide in advance it’s too hard to understand, be persistent with yourself instead and commit yourself to at least a spoonful of reading per day. Before you know it, just like with the Flaxseed or the book I read, you will have consumed the whole book. It’s a blessing!

God First!

It’s been over a year!

Well, It has now been slightly over a year since I decided to purchase and create a website called “AdvocateforChrist.com,“ along with the supporting aids needed to help me write and secure the site. I now have 165 posts to date.

I did this for two reasons:

  • First and foremost, as a means of sharing God’s Word and the beautiful blessings derived from following Jesus. To follow Christ according to His Word is by far the best life one can choose to live and the best advice one can give. However, It is a choice!
    • In my writings, I often present my thoughts with supporting Scripture to persuade readers to pursue God’s Word independently. I don’t want readers to simply adopt my thoughts but rather encourage them to go to God’s Word and check them out. God’s Word is where all truth originates.
    • The Bible is where one may learn the Truth of God’s Word more fully. Self-Study and self evaluation is essential! Satan has spent thousands of years twisting the truth with partial truths starting with Eve, persuading people to adopt manufactured ideas of God’s Truth. Our best defense to being misled in what God’s Word says is to have personal knowledge of God’s Word.
  • Secondly, I began this effort as a result of the encouragement I received. So many reading my post on Facebook kept suggesting I do more. I am grateful for all those uplifting and encouraging words. To all who have motivated me to do more, Thank you! I pray and hope my efforts are fruitful to someone, somewhere.

Last year, many of the advocateforChrist.com posts were a combination of new efforts and works I had written in years past. I would review, modify, and use grammar software to improve the previous post. I quickly realized that formulating, writing, and running my thoughts through grammar-checking software takes time, whether new or old ideas. At this point, I have now posted most of my previous social media posts onto the Advocate for Christ site. Going forward, it is my hope to post at least two or three times a week in 2022.

How can you help if you find these posts thought-provoking and beneficial? I’m glad you asked! 🙂

  1. Go to https://AdvocateforChrist.com and sign up to receive the post via email. Reading them on the website is easier than reading them on Facebook, plus; The scriptures link to an online bible for quick review.
  2. Like them, Love them, comment, and share them. (Once in a while, I write one worthy of sharing). With social media algorithms, Your likes, love, comments, and shares help others see them.
  3. If you have accounts with MEWE, Parlor, Aggos, or Instagram, I also post many writings or memes on those sites and welcome your likes and shares.
  4. Reach out in the comments section on Advocate for Christ or social media. Extend your thoughts, questions, and applicable humor.
  5. By all means, If you feel I am in an error of Scripture, contact me. Let’s have a private discussion.

God First!

Wayne R. Johnson

God Knows

“In a world that blames God for disasters, yet credits luck for life’s blessings, we need reminding that the Lord alone is the universal Maestro. Evil and suffering are not from his hand, yet he is mighty enough to work the worst of circumstances for our ultimate good and his own exalted glory. It is ours to choose whether we will cooperate with his unfolding redemptive drama—whether we will submit our lives to his will. Each step taken and a word spoken should be a confession of just who is crafting our life’s story.”

Above is an excerpt from the book: The Epic of God – by Michael Whitworth; the book is an in-depth look at Genesis that I found very interesting. I introduced the book to my wife and happened to reread the introduction when the above excerpt stuck out to me. I posted the above in 2016 on Facebook – I wonder now as I see it in my FB memories if God knew I would need this reminder later in life and that I would share it with all who read my articles (of course, he did).

  • Psalm 139:4
  • 1 John 3:20
  • Hebrews 4:13
  • Isaiah 51:3
  • Psalm 119:76
  • Matthew 5:4

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